Health Services Sector Making Money as the Market Falls

Markets fell across the board in trading today, but the Dow led the way with a -0.20% decline. The NASDAQ fell -0.17%, or -8.61 points, to close the day's trading at 5,097.98. The S&P 500 was also down slightly, falling just -2.69 points to close at 2,120.79. The Dow dropped -36.87 points, and closed out the day safely above 18k at 18,126.12.

Managed health care provider Aetna (AET) has been setting a brisk pace for its segment of the market. The company has shot up in value by 30% YTD and it's showing no signs of stopping. Still, it's being outperformed in the segment by 3 companies, with another keeping pace. Aetna had an up day today, gaining a solid 1.18 points to close at $116.39 per share.

Centene Corp (CNC) is leading the managed care segment, with YTD gains just shy of 40%. Molina Healthcare (MOH) is in the #2 spot, with 34% growth so far this year. Cigna Corp (CI) is following closely, up 32% on the year. Anthem (ANTM) falls just short of the mark, coming in at #5 in the segment, but they've also been having a good year. Anthem is up 30.68% YTD, and gained 0.84 points to close the day at $164.22.

Shareholders of United Rentals (URI) got a sudden surprise today when the CEO mentioned that May sales were soft. They responded by selling off their stake in droves, driving down share prices -9.14%. United Rentals fell -9.55 points to close the day at $94.95.

Commodities Fall Alongside Stocks

The commodities market was also hit hard in trading today, with future prices falling nearly across the board. Oil was one of the exceptions, posting a small gain on the day, ending the day's trading at $58.00 per barrel. Precious metals were nearly all down, with platinum leading the way. The price of platinum fell -$2.70 today, closing below gold at 1,116.30 per troy ounce. Corn, wheat, and soybeans all fell. Cocoa lost -$7.00 per metric ton to close at 3,103.00.

Video game retailer GameStop (GME) surged to $40 a few months ago, and it looks set to breakout again. Considering recent positive sales trends, GameStop could be about ready to make a break for $45. In trading today, GameStop gained 3.67%, or 1.45 points, to close the day at $40.92 per share.